Matters of Faith: Temptation in the wilderness of our lives

Comment

By The Rev. Sue Lederhouse

capecodtimes.com

By The Rev. Sue Lederhouse

Posted Mar. 15, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By The Rev. Sue Lederhouse

Posted Mar. 15, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

Traditionally on the first Sunday in Lent, an account of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness — found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke — is read in Christian churches as the focus of that day's worship. Jesus had just spent a long time — 40 days and 40 nights — fasting and praying alone in the desert. In Matthew's account of this time, Jesus is tempted with food, immortality and power by a force known by various names — Satan, the Devil, the Tempter. This demonic force tempts Jesus with the words: "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to be loaves of bread." And again, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple." And finally, "All the kingdoms of the world I will give you if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus answers these temptations with quotations from the Torah, asserting that man does not live by bread alone; that one should not put the Lord to the test; and that one should worship and serve only the Lord your God.

Jesus experiences this time in the wilderness after being baptized by John the Baptizer. At his baptism, scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit descended upon him and Jesus heard God telling him: "You are my Son the Beloved with whom I am well pleased." It was a true spiritual high moment and recognition for Jesus of his identity and his mission. But quickly after this, scripture tells us Jesus was driven into the wilderness, and those temptations come at a low moment — a time when he is famished.

We, too, may experience temptation at times when we are famished in mind, body or spirit. When we are tired, hungry, unemployed or in financial difficulty, we are tempted to make bad decisions and to forget who we really are. How often have we settled for fast food when we are really hungry, even though we know it often contains empty calories? Or perhaps when we are lonely, we seek the comfort of the "wrong" crowd just to quell that loneliness. Or maybe we seek get-rich schemes to get out of debt or to simply improve our financial situation. Or we seek the momentary highs of nicotine or recreational drugs without thinking of the long-term effects of addiction. Long days at the beach with the temptation of a great tan to show off can become the agony of treatments for skin cancer. Advertising also can tempt us by promising that we will become "new" people if only we use a particular product or take on a new regime. In our quest to become this "new" person, we may not recognize ourselves in the mirror as we are tempted to become someone we're not.

Jesus was tempted by the devil to deny his true mission, to deny his "sonship." We, too, can easily be tempted to deny who we are, and sometimes that "fake" self masks our true self for a long time. It's hard to stand up for what we believe in, particularly when we feel pressure from our peers. And while we think of peer pressure as more prevalent in adolescence, it follows us throughout our lives. "Be like us," it calls, "that's the only and best way to be. Don't go off on your own. Don't be an individual. Be like us."

It takes a lot of courage, will-power and faith to withstand these temptations, but God is there in the wilderness times of our lives. God is there in our times of temptation. God is there when we forget who we are and whose we are. It's not easy to stand firm against the tempter. When we are lost, we can welcome anyone who finds us.

Who do we turn to in these moments? Do we ask God for help in times of temptation?

Protestant reformer Martin Luther is credited with one of the great hymns of our faith, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," based on Psalm 46. As we walk through our own times in the wilderness, let us meditate on Luther's words:

And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us;

we will not fear, for God hath willed

his truth to triumph through us.

May God help us and be with us in our times of temptation and doubt.

The Rev. Lederhouse is rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church-on-the-Canal in Buzzards Bay.